Our inspirational resident Grace shared her amazing life story
Our inspirational resident Grace from Redwalls Nursing Home, who is 100 years old, has shared her amazing life story for Age UK and Cadbury’s Donate Your Words Campaign.
Grace was born on 4th April and had to celebrate her 100th birthday during lockdown. She is the eldest of 8 children – 7 siblings including 6 girls and a boy.
She grew up in the country in Warwickshire. At the age of 10, she was sent to a boarding school in Weston-super-mare
From there, she entered nursing school in Birmingham and was one of the first intakes in the then new Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
All of her training, both general and midwifery took place during wartime. She lived and worked with constant air raids, boarded up windows in the wards and lack of rubber gloves and needles. In theatres gloves were often not used for operations due to the shortages.
Grace married Bill in 1948 and gave birth to twins Pauline and Graham in 1950. Her youngest John was born four years later. Bill and Grace lived in Birkenhead, Shirley (Solihull), Southport, Bristol, and finally back to Warwickshire. Sadly, Bill died in 2001 and Grace moved up to Cheshire to be near Pauline and John.
Grace has 3 children, 8 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. She has a very strong Christian faith and has been a wonderful example to friends and family over the years.
Staff at Redwalls Nursing Home in Northwhich, Cheshire where she is now a resident said: “She is an inspiration and always has a smile on her face.”
Grace met her 14th Great-Grandchild on Facetime just a few days ago. His middle name is Zain which means ‘Grace’ after their Great Grandma. I asked Grace what advice she could give to us, she replied: “Happiness happens, but joy abides”.
